Tamara Siddiqui

Motorcyclist injured in Portsmouth crash

If only I’d known I’d feel pure tranquillity under the bluest of skies as I admired the view of an historic Gothic gem, the Mediterranean and a beautiful lake all at the same time, I’d have packed my bags and jetted off to Majorca much sooner.

The parts of this Balearic island I was lucky enough to see had me from the get-go...

Two-and-a-half hours on a plane is nothing when you know you’ll be switching from a cold environment to a warm one.

In Majorca, the holiday season starts around February and finishes at the end of October – and even then temperatures are still capable of reaching 24 degrees.

If you do go at the start or end of the season though, tourist areas on the island are going to be a lot less busy than they are when summer is in full swing.

Like I did, you might find a lot of shops and restaurants are still closed.

Nevertheless, a decent amount were still open and it didn’t have an impact on my trip.

The journey was forgotten as soon as I pulled up at the four-star Maritim Hotel Galatzó in Costa de la Calma, south-west of Majorca.

The hotel grounds are on a hill, in between two towns – Santa Ponsa and Peguera.

It’s just 15-20 minutes by car to the island’s capital, Palma.

I’d been told about the hotel’s stunning views before I arrived, but nothing prepared me for just how stunning they were.

There are different viewpoints all around the hotel, leaving guests to explore and find their own serenity spots.

And if you need a break from all that, er, peace, the Galatzo comes complete with a pool area, chillout lounge, spa, sauna, gym, Jacuzzi and massage treatments. I’m told many of the guests spend their whole day at the hotel and it’s certainly not hard to see why.

I could have spent the rest of my trip admiring the view from a sun lounger, but my double comfort room came calling...

Refreshed and ready to explore the surrounding area, I was told there are four different beaches nearby along with many restaurants and bars.

You can walk to Santa Ponsa or Peguera, take a taxi, or jump in a free shuttle bus outside the hotel. I can vouch for Peguera as having lots in food choice and a beautiful beach, complete with couples, families, and individuals like myself who spent time walking the shore with their toes in the water.

After the stroll it was time to find out about Palma’s past and why the area is known for being steeped in a rich history.

A taxi to the capital costs around 25 euros and from there you can take boat trips to other islands.

The first thing my tour guide Magdalena did was lead me down the city’s cobbled streets, which featured cafes, shops, boutiques, and beautiful buildings with balconies and majestic archways – which, back in the day, were an indication of wealth.

As Magdalena revealed more about the city’s past, detailing Roman and pirate invasions and its Christian and Muslim history as we walked towards the great big diamond of Palma.

There I saw the huge cathedral known as ‘La Seu’, which is built over the city walls of Palma’s old town.

It took hundreds of years to complete and is known to many as the cathedral of light.

The building overlooks the sea and Parque del Mar – a lake built to replicate the fact waters used to reach the city’s walls before a new road was built in the 1970s.

In the centre sits a fountain and beside it, dozens of palm trees. It’s a truly picturesque setting and one I would say is worth going to Majorca for on its own.

You can be sure to find a healthy mixture of different tapas dishes pretty much everywhere you go in Majorca, along with lots of bread, garlic aioli and a fine range of tastebud-tingling salts.

Dishes can start at five euros and finish at 12, but if you want real, authentic Majorcan food, Celler Sa Premsa in Palma is your place.

The old bodega is one of the oldest restaurants in the town and was built around a wine cellar, like quite a few of the restaurants in the area.

The Peppers de Padron were my favourite.

The vegetables are from Northwestern Spain and in this crunchy tapas dish, are drizzled in oil, cooked, and sprinkled with salt. Delicious.

In three days, I got a good flavour of what south-west Majorca has to offer.

Go and explore for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

ESSENTIALS

EasyJet Holidays offer a range of holiday options to Majorca, including the four-star Maritim Hotel Galatzo.

Seven nights on a bed and breakfast basis, departing from London Luton Airport on March 27, costs from £349 per person.